NIC Technologies, which provides official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions, has been tapped by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to create a National Motor Carrier Pre-Employment Screening System
. The company was awarded a contract with an initial one-year term, with four, single-year renewals.

On Oct. 7, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced plans to give carriers access to portions of the Motor Carrier Management Information System - the database that police and roadside inspectors use to check on drivers and carriers. The program is scheduled to begin in December.

The new service is designed to distribute commercial drivers' safety performance history as part of the pre-employment screening process. The system will assist the motor carrier industry in assessing individual operators' crash and serious safety violation inspection history as a pre-employment condition. Drivers will also be able to obtain their individual history from the service.

"Safety is our number one priority at the Department of Transportation," LaHood said. "This new initiative will help trucking companies ensure the safest drivers are behind the wheel of commercial trucks and buses. Making this information more transparent will make our roads and highways safer for everyone."

It is anticipated that users of the service will pay a subscription fee of $100 per year and a $10 transaction fee for each record pulled. There will be additional fees for records requested via fax or mail. Individual drivers requesting their own record will not be subject to any subscription fee.

The system will adhere to all other federal privacy requirements to ensure the privacy and security of a driver's personal information.

More info: www.nicusa.com